Editing Circle of Thorns (section)

== Background ==
The Circle of Thorns is as old as the Five Families, dating back to their conquest of northern Izril. It was founded as a reaction to the power of the Five Families which others felt needed to be curbed so the Five Families' power wouldn't become absolute. The secret society of the Circle consists of individuals with many talents. Some are deemed worthy due to their involvement in politics. Others are important or influential enough to be used as pawns, financiers, or messengers. Still more can be included if they are able to exert some other kind of influence.<ref name="7.24" />

The Circle of Thorns is mostly comprised of 'lesser' nobility, and rarely involves members of the Five Families. At least a quarter of Izril’s nobility occasionally attended sessions of the Circle of Thorns, but this attending apparently doesn't amount to much more than a show of support for a largely mysterious organization. There are several levels of commitment.<ref name="7.24" />

The Circle is meant as a means to check the power of the Five Families, censure those who had too much power, but also to stabilize the power balance in Northern Izril. While in some eras, the Circle fought against the Families, in other times it supported them, or played favorites in their internal affairs.<ref name="7.24" />

Despite what the following history section implies, however, the Circle of Thorns wanes and grows in power as the era demands. Some points in time they are particularly powerful and in others they have been nearly useless.<ref name="7.24" />

[[Regis Reinhart]] had founded the Circle, and included a ritual spanning half the continent that collects the blood of the members, from ceremonially shed blood as part of their entrance into and promotion within the Circle, or from their death. When activated, it would force agents to return to their headquarters and have their body changed in a basin of blood, making them stronger while also enforcing their loyalty to the Circle, making them part of the true Circle of Thorns.<ref name=":2" /> Each noble of Izril who dies empowers the ritual.<ref name=":1">[https://wanderinginn.com/2023/07/12/9-53/ Chapter 9.53]</ref>